Inception vs Tenet: The Art of Character
Part 1 - Why it’s important to establish Goals, Desires and Needs in Character and why stories mean more when they have all three
Why do we love film? It’s a simple question, but one that begs a complicated answer depending on who you ask. It’s also one not everyone would agree on. However, one thing’s for sure, we all indulge in films to be entertained. And you can’t talk about being entertained in film these days without mentioning one of the decades most successful, not to mention, influential filmmakers, Christopher Nolan.
To say that he’s a master making must-see blockbusters that enrapture as much as entertain is a given. What comes under more scrutiny, and especially recently, is his ability to develop characters that engage us with the story. After all, we can be entertained to infinity and beyond, but if a film doesn’t have characters who reel us into its emotionally resonant core, it’ll probably be remembered fondly but briefly, its impression never able to go gain a hook deeper than the surface. But a character-driven entertaining film with heart, now that’s hard for anyone to forget!
It’s for this reason, I think Tenet stands separate to the rest of Nolan’s work and why it highlights a growing trend of his to prioritise plot…
